Modified growth hormones that exhibit increased protease resistance and pharmaceutical compositions thereof

1. A pharmaceutical composition, comprising a modified growth hormone polypeptide, wherein:

the modified growth hormone polypeptide comprises an amino acid replacement at a position corresponding to amino acid Y42 of a mature human growth hormone polypeptide;

the amino acid replacement at the position corresponding to Y42 is H, whereby the modified growth hormone polypeptide retains an activity of a growth hormone, and exhibits increased resistance to proteolysis in the serum or gastrointestinal tract compared to the unmodified growth hormone polypeptide that does not comprise the amino acid replacement, and is rendered orally available;

the unmodified human growth hormone polypeptide comprises the sequence of amino acids set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or the sequence of amino acid residues set forth as amino acid residues 27-217 in SEQ ID NO: 712, or allelic or species variants, alternative splice variants or an active portion thereof that includes the position corresponding to Y42; and

the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for oral administration.

2. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified growth hormone polypeptide contains the Y42H modification and up to five additional amino acid replacements at positions corresponding to any of amino acid positions 1-41 and 43-55, 57, 58, 60-63, 67-87, 89-91, 93, 95-100, 102-119, 121-128, 131-132, 135-139, 141, 142, 144, 148-182, 184, 185 and 187-191 of mature human growth hormone polypeptide.

3. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 , wherein the replacement positions are selected from among positions 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 48, 52, 54, 56, 59, 61, 64, 65, 66, 70, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, 86, 87, 88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 97, 101, 103, 105, 107, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 121, 124, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 133, 134, 139, 140, 143, 145, 146, 147, 153, 154, 156, 157, 158, 160, 162, 163, 164, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 174, 176, 177, 178, 183, 186 and 191 of mature human growth hormone.

4. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 , wherein the replacement positions are selected from among positions F1, P2, P5, L6, R8, L9, F10, D11, A13, M14, L15, R16, A17, R19, L20, L23, A24, F25, D26, Y28, E30, F31, E32, E33, Y35, P37, K38, E39, K41, F44, L45, P48, L52, F54, E56, P59, P61, R64, E65, E66, K70, L73, E74, L75, L76, R77, L80, L81, L82, W86, L87, E88, P89, F92, L93, R94, F97, L101, Y103, A105, D107, V110, Y111, D112, L113, L114, K115, D116, L117, E118, E119, I121, L124, M125, R127, L128, E129, D130, P133, R134, F139, K140, Y143, K145, F146, D147, D153, D154, L156, L157, K158, Y160, L162, L163, Y164, F166, R167, K168, D169, M170, D171, K172, E174, F176, L177, R178, R183, E186 and F191 of mature human growth hormone polypeptide.

5. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 4 , wherein replacements are selected from among R replaced by H or Q, E replaced by H, Q or N, K replaced by Q or N, D replaced by N or Q, M replaced by I or V, P replaced by A or S, Y replaced by I or H, F replaced by I or V, W replaced by H or S and L replaced by I or V.

6. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 4 , wherein replacements are selected from among F1V, P2A, PSA, PSS, R8H, L9I, L9V, D11N, D11Q, M14V, R16H, R19H, L23I, L23V, F25I, F25V, D26N, D26Q, E30H, E30N, E32Q, E32H, E32N, E33Q, E33H, E33N, P37S, K38N, E39Q, E39H, K41Q, L521, L52V, F54V, E56Q, E56N, E65Q, E66Q, E66H, L73I, L73V, E74N, R77Q, L80V, L81V, L82V, W86H, L87V, E88Q, P89A, L93I, R94H, F97V, L101V, L101I, Y103H, Y1031, D107N, D107Q, Y111H, Y111I, D112N, D112Q, L113I, L113V, L114I, K115Q, D116N, D116Q, E118N, E119Q, E119H, L124V, M1251, M125V, R127H, R127Q, L128V, E129N, P133A, R134H, R134Q, F139I, K140Q, K140N, Y143H, Y1431, K145N, D147Q, D147N, D153N, D154N, D154Q, L156I, L1571, L157V, K158N, L162I, L163V, F166I, F166V, R167H, R167Q, K168N, K168Q, D169N, D169Q, M170I, M170V, D171N, D171Q, K172N, K172Q, E174Q, E174H, E174N, L177I, L177V, R178H, R178Q, R183Q, E186Q, E186H and F191I.

7. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for oral administration as a tablet or capsule.

8. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the unmodified growth hormone polypeptide is a human growth hormone (hGH) polypeptide.

9. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the unmodified growth hormone polypeptide is a pituitary growth hormone polypeptide or placental growth hormone polypeptide.

10. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the unmodified growth hormone is a pituitary growth hormone comprising a sequence of amino acids set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:713, allelic or species variants, alternative splice variants, or an active portion thereof that includes the position corresponding to Y42.

11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the unmodified growth hormone is a placental growth hormone comprising a sequence of amino acids set forth in SEQ ID NO:712, or a mature form thereof, allelic or species variants, alternative splice variants, or an active portion thereof that includes the position corresponding to Y42.

12. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the unmodified growth hormone polypeptide is a mature growth hormone polypeptide.

13. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the unmodified growth hormone polypeptide is a precursor growth hormone polypeptide.

14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified growth hormone polypeptide is pegylated, albuminated or glycosylated.

15. A method, comprising treating a subject by administering the pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the subject has a disease or condition that is treated by the administration of growth hormone.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the disease or condition is selected from among a growth deficiency disorder, AIDS wasting, aging, impaired immune function of HIV-infected subjects, a catabolic illness, surgical recovery, a congestive cardiomyopathy, liver transplantation, liver regeneration after hepatectomy, chronic renal failure, renal osteodystrophy, osteoporosis, achondroplasia/hypochondroplasia, skeletal dysplasia, a chronic inflammatory or nutritional disorder such as Crohn's disease, short bowel syndrome, juvenile chronic arthritis, cystic fibrosis, male infertility, X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets, Down's syndrome, Spina bifida, Noonan Syndrome, obesity, impaired muscle strength and fibromyalgia.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the growth deficiency disorder is selected from among Turner's syndrome, intrauterine growth retardation, idiopathic short stature, Prader Willi syndrome, and thalassaemia.